Not Another Love Story
by starbucksucks
Summary: She didn't care for Murphy or his laws. But like everything else in her life she should have listened to her mother, because everything that could go wrong did. Falling in love with that rich bastard was at the top of the list. KyouyaxOC
1. Chapter 1

The young girl had fallen asleep at her desk not realizing that she had overslept and ignored her alarm, what woke her up was her phone ringing. She picked it up groggily. To her mornings were like annual health checkups, she hated them but they were a necessary part of life and it was better to get over with. If she had the choice she would wake up at noon everyday but unfortunately for her that was not how society functioned and instead she had to wake up five hours earlier to get ready for school.

"Kira Hiyashi speaking," her voice was still husky from sleep.

"Dearest cousin are you planning on playing hooky today?" A masculine voice spoke chuckling. Kira looked at the time. It was 7:45. School started at 8:30 and if she did not start moving she was going to be late. Her homeroom teacher was not her fan and if she was not punctual she would have points taken off.

_ "Fuck,"_ she cursed in English, clumsily getting up not realizing that her arms had fallen asleep and she felt pins and needles. She cursed some more. The voice on the other end of the line laughed harder.

"Tsk tsk tsk. Don't you have a chemistry exam today Kira?" her cousin reminded her. She was currently in her closet taking out her ostentatious yellow uniform and paused. Usually she would commute to school via her cousin's driver however since she was running late she would have to take the bus. _Do I want to wear a yellow marshmallow and risk being harassed like last time or wear "commoner" clothes to a rich kids school?_

The latter option seemed more appealing, throwing her uniform carelessly on the bed she put on skinny jeans and white blouse hoping she looked presentable.

"Did you even come home last night Kai?" she asked her cousin who still on the line.

"Uh…." Her cousin sounded hesitant, he was struggling to come up with a believable excuse.

"I will talk to you later, I'm hanging up bye." She disconnected and quickly washed her face and brushed her teeth. Her hair was a wavy mess and Kira had no time to style it properly and threw it into a bun making it look like it was intentionally messy.

Hastily putting on flats she ran out the door of the apartment, she half ran half jogged to the nearest bus stop that would take her close to her high school. She checked the time again; her phone read 8:00 and the bus came just as she reached the stop. She sat down in a seat exhaling in relief. Maybe her day wouldn't start out on such a bad foot. She was wrong.

* * *

By the time she reached the front gates of her school she realized that she barely had ten minutes left to make class. She started to run faster, her class was pretty far out and this school was _big_. Turning a corner Kira did not see the figure walking towards her and bumped into him. The two of them fell on the floor in an ungraceful heap. It was cheesy almost, as if the scene was taken straight from a movie. _I do not need my life to resemble a mediocre rom com right now_ Kira thought. She looked down and almost cursed again, it was her class president Kyouya Ootori, a boy who was known for his ruthless ways. She scrambled to get off of him. Kyouya got up as well, dusting his uniform off as if something unpleasant got on him. He looked at her with a steely gaze. Kira felt exposed, it was as if those cold gray eyes could decipher her thoughts and she felt uncomfortable.

"Excuse me, are you a student here?" He asked. Kira could not help rolling her eyes. After four semesters of sharing the same class, she thought he would at least know her name considering the nearly stalkerish way he liked to keep tabs of the fellow students.

"Yes, I am. I am in your class. Speaking of I need to get to it," She tried to walk past him but instead got stopped by his hand on her arm.

"Is there a reason you don't have your uniform on?" She let out an audible sigh, she did not want to deal with this right now.

"It was abducted by aliens," she said with a straight face, there was no point in explaining her choice in casual attire . Kyouya stared at her not amused by her sarcasm.

"Ouran High School has a strict standard of dress policies and you are in violation-"

"I am not, the handbook strongly recommends that students wear the uniform it is not mandatory. If you are done executing your role as the fashion police I have to go to class," Kira took his hand off her arm rather roughly and walked away briskly. Unfortunately, her encounter with her class president was making her run even more late and she eventually took off into a sprint. The final bell rang right before she stepped into class.

"Nice of you to join us Hiyashi-san," her homeroom teacher Yukimura Sensei commented dryly. "You're late."

"I came on time!" she retorted. Her teacher glared at her. He made it clear since her first day that he did not care for her, he thought her American heritage made her obnoxious and arrogant.

"I am writing you down as tardy, stay after school," Kira groaned. "Do not take up anymore of my time and sit down. Class is starting." She walked down the aisles to her seat, her classmates were staring at her and her lack of uniform, and some were giggling at her simple outfit. She stayed up late last night studying for her chem exam next period and her lack of daily dose of caffeine made this day even more unbearable. Just as the teacher was about to start the lecture, Kyouya Ootori walked in late.

"I apologize for my tardiness. I had to take care of some business," Kira was expecting her teacher to chew him out as well but instead

"Oh Ootori-san that is quite alright, please go ahead." Yukimura sensei was enamored by his presence, she shouldn't have been surprised. Ootori knew how to charm people to his favor; he wasn't a host for nothing. She honestly shouldn't have expected to be treated the same as someone from the Ootori Corporation. Despite being tied to the powerful Hiyashi corporation she was still nothing more than the Yankie transfer.

Kira dropped her head onto the desk, today was not going to work out for her. When she looked up she accidently made eye contact with Kyouya, who was looking at her with a chilling gaze. His grey eyes seemed scrutinizing and she knew that she had been spotted by the Shadow King's radar.

Quietly cursing him for being a stupid rich bastard and herself for being short-tempered , she wanted the day to go by without event. For two years she was able to avoid entangling herself with the host club and gaining unwanted attention but it seems that her final year at the school was not going to be as smooth sailing as she hoped.

* * *

Kyouya had a free period before his lunch with Tamaki. He usually took this time to finish up any homework or work on the club's accounts. Unfortunately, he was dealing with a minor crisis regarding pastries and cakes for the Host Club. They thankfully had enough for today but their usual bakery supplier shut down after a large drug bust. So now the Shadow King had to find a new bakery with reasonable price and quality baked goods. Most of the high quality bakeries needed at least a week in advance for an order and he simply did not have the time.

"Mommy, mommy! I want to do an Arabian Nights cosplay! I was thinking of recreating the mystical and adventurous spirit of the 1001 Nights " Tamaki gushed about his plans. Kyouya was barely paying attention. He clicked away at his laptop, searching for the perfect bakery. Tamaki's incessant chatter eventually got to him.

"Tamaki please be quiet, I need to find a new bakery to supply our Host Club. We will discuss this later," he replied pushing his glasses up. The encounter with the Hiyashi girl had put him slightly on edge, her defiance to his authority as class president irked him and he was surprised that he couldn't recognize her at first. He usually could remember details of everyone but she drew a blank. She also took away his control of his situation, even daring to interrupt him. His thoughts were interrupted by the entrance of someone. He looked up to see Kai Hiyashi walking in with a confident swagger. He was also in Kyouya's class and carried the image of the bad boy almost too perfectly. Despite his prestigious lineage and position as heir to one of Japan's largest corporations, Kai looked like the boys in class 2-D, with his shirt untucked, tie loose, and hair shaggy with highlights.

"I see that you are in need of assistance Ootori-san." He sauntered over with a smirk tugging at the end of his mouth.

"I do not mean to be rude Hiyashi-san but it is not any of your business," Kyouya replied coolly.

"I'm just saying that it seems that you are in need of bakery that will deliver a rush order for a reasonable price and exceptional quality. I may be of assistance," he leaned against the desk across from Kyouya. "You know about my family and our business. We just opened a franchise of high quality bakeries that we are expanding. There is one conveniently located nearby Ouran and I can pull some strings to get you your goods." Kyouya was intrigued despite Kai's seemingly cavalier attitude he was incredibly cunning.

"I think we can work out a deal," He was slightly apprehensive about how convenient it seemed but decided to risk it.

"I can even give the Host Club a discount as long as Bon Appetite Bakeries become the Host Club's official supplier." Kai's true motive became startlingly clear to Kyouya. He was using the Host Club as an advertising platform, a way to promote the bakery. The Hiyashi Group was a successful conglomerate, nearly rivaling the Ootori Corporation in its might and power. Surprisingly, they were run by Kai's mother, despite a majority of the corporations in Japan being patriarchal. She had a reputation for being fierce and shrewd in her business dealings allowing the company to advance to its position today. Not to mention unlike the other elites, their family did an excellent job of keeping from the public eye and not even Kyouya Ootori could access information on them. This explained why he was so apprehensive about dealing with Kai Hiyashi, other than knowing basic facts and observations from being his classmate Ootori was working with limited information. He hated being in this position.

"I think that is possible, thank you again Hiyashi-san" Kyouya smiled coldly. He assessed the costs and risks with agreeing to this deal, it was mutually beneficial with limited costs. The Host Club would gain a reliable business partner and a discount and the Bakery gained publicity. It seemed to be the best option and he would be careless not to take it. He jotted this down in his notebook. "We can meet sometime later to work out the specific details of this partnership."

"No problem and please call me Kai," He smiled in return holding his hand out. The Shadow King took it, not breaking his gaze.

Kyouya was not the only student preparing for the ruthless business world, with future heads of companies attending the school small scale business mergers and deals were not uncommon. Ouran Academy was not just a school providing education for the elite but preparing them for their future.

* * *

Since Kira did not eat breakfast she was ravenous by lunch time, her difficult chemistry exam also sapped a lot of her energy. She headed to the cafeteria grabbing lunch from the line and sitting down to eat. She was halfway done with her meal when her cousin, Kai, sat down in front of her. He was on the phone talking rapidly about a rush order and something about pastries. Kira figured it had something to do with business and she went back to her curry.

"Bon Appetite is supplying for the Host Club by the way," he informed her after finishing his call. Kira raised her eyebrow in suspicion.

"Why?"

"Their previous supplier shut down because of a drug bust. Some of those bags of flour weren't actually flour. So I took the opportunity, it's good for business." He said calmly, stealing some food off her plate.

"You didn't plant those bags of flour did you…" Kira would not put it past him, Kai was a smart child and his morals definitely veered into shades of gray.

"Cousin I'm offended," Kai pretended to look hurt. "I would do no such thing. A little birdie told me about the not so legal business and as a law abiding citizen I had to tell the police.

"And what about the employees not involved? They're most likely out of a job."

"Bon Appetite recruited the innocent ones, they're highly skilled and are ever so grateful to the franchise for taking them in."

"You are ruthless," Kira said with a small smile. Her cousin may be frivolous and man-whorish but he definitely inherited his mother's shrewd business sense. She wasn't too worried about him taking over. "Also where were you last night? What happened to 'I'll protect my cousin from this cruel world?' You didn't go clubbing again did you? It's a school night!"

"Clubbing, me? On a School night?! Absolutely not!" She didn't buy it, she knew her cousin too well. "I had a sleepover." There it was.

She sighed, her cousin's extra-curricular activities were not new to her, he would go to these 'sleepovers' and oftentimes not come back until very late at night or in that day's case not at all.

"I don't want to know," she raised her hand to stop him from divulging details, she switched to English. The two of them would alternate between the two languages often intermixing Japanese and English. It was a way for her to not lose the latter language.

"Don't ask don't tell," he smirked leaning back into his chair.

"I hope you understand the irony of that statement,"

"I live for it," The two of them had the same sense of sarcastic humor resulting in long periods of bantering. The cousins were still talking when a girl came up to where they were sitting. She looked to be a first year student. She wasn't an heiress but a second or third daughter but looked like any other girl in her year. Pretty, with pale skin dark hair and porcelain features. She timidly went up to Kai holding a letter written on high quality stationary.

"H-h-hiyashi senpai?" she stuttered, not looking at Kai directly.

"Yes?" Kai stared at her with cool indifference; it was a quick change from his jovial tone with his cousin just seconds ago. The girl blushed. Kai was a handsome boy, with shaggy black hair and a defined jaw, he was fairly popular with the girls. Moreso than his face, his image as a bad boy attracted girls with a nonchalant attitude and mysterious aura he had done his fair share of heartbreaking. After the Host Club, he was the most popular among the female population.

"Will you accept this?" Handing her letter to him. Kira was trying to compose herself, this poor girl didn't know about Kai, who at this time looked at the girl with a sad smile on his face.

"No, I'm sorry," Kai was nothing if not straight forward.

"I just wanted to confess my feelings," she looked down at her shoes her cheeks reddening even more. He got up and stood in front of the girl bending down so his face was near hers.

"I'm touched however; it ends there. I am not looking for a relationship, your attentions are better focused elsewhere," he took the letter she gave him and put it in her hands. He casually sat back down in his seat stealing a couple more bites from Kira, who looked completely unamused at this point. The first year looked to be on the brink of tears, swallowing her pride she bowed quickly and apologized leaving straight for her group of friends who looked as shocked as her.

"You know that's going to bite you in the ass. Her older sister is-" Kira started reprimanding her cousin.

"I know I know, Seiko can kick my ass but I highly doubt she would. I'm not the only one hitting up gay bars you know," Kai said smirking again, he played a dangerous game but a necessary one. He decided to commandeer whatever was left of his Kira's lunch and eat it. She let him, she instead opted to look around the cafeteria and appraising the situation. The young girl was being consoled by her friends, they didn't look angry at Kai but more sympathetic towards the first year. Kira's gaze landed on the Shadow King who seemed to have witnessed the even and was scribbling down something in his black notebook. The Host Club had made various attempts to recruit Kai into their club specifically by Kyouya who thought of him as a great asset. Kira was worried.

"You should be careful, I think Ootori is going to try to recruit you into the host club again. That deal you just made with him is going to make him bolder and more aggressive this time," Kira said.

"I know, especially with the two seniors leaving they're going to make another attempt at me. But I'm prepared, don't worry." Kira left it at that, her cousin knew how to handle himself, especially in this environment of elites controlled by power and money. He was much better at navigating the fine lines and delicate power structures than she was, something she was not quite adept at yet. They spent the rest of their lunch period in comfortable silences. Kai returned to his phone checking his stocks and Kira started doing her reading for her classes. The bell ran signifying that they had to return to class.

"Hey, Kira you're working today right?" Kai inquired as Kira was getting up.

"Yeah, why?"

"I'm going to need you to do a favor for me…"


	2. Chapter 2

Though she went to Ouran Academy for nearly two years, Kira had yet to get accustomed to its opulence and alarming pink color. The end of her second year was fast approaching and she still managed to get lost, but she partly blamed her horrible sense of direction for that. It did not help that she had a cart full of pastries from Bon Appetite that she had to deliver at the last minute to the Host Club. This was the favor that Kai was asking for.

"Fucking Kai, see if I ever do a favor for you ever again. He owes me this time," she mumbled to herself as she turned again into what she assumed to be the correct hallway. She also assumed the previous hallways were music rooms but instead were dance rooms and almost interrupted a practice.

Glancing at her cellphone she realized that she had only about 3 minutes left. Bon Appetite promised quality and efficiency, and to preserve their reputability they made the order free if it arrived later than the expected time. She would then have to pay for the delivery out of pocket, which was 11000 yen. Almost half her paycheck. She looked at the doors to see that they were marked Music Room. Kira sighed in relief, she went down the hall at a brisk pace to make it on time. She entered the third music room with a minute to spare. She adjusted her cap so it was hard to see her face, she didn't want to be recognized by Ootori again and answer awkward questions.

"Delivery from Bon Appetite Bakery!" She called out her voice echoing in the room. A dark haired boy emerged from the back. Just her luck, it was Kyouya.

"You are late," he said simply looking at the delivery girl. He almost didn't recognize her again with her cap obstructing most of her face but their brief meeting this morning left an impression on him. "I expected the delivery at 5pm, it's 5:03." Kira rolled her eyes, was he still mad about that morning's encounter?

"My cell phone says its 4:59," Kira held out her phone to show him.

"My watch says its 5:03," he responded.

"I apologize for my tone but my phone's watch is determined by satellite and technology. Your watch is analog therefore, the chance of it being inaccurate is much higher. You can double check with other devices to see if my phone is correct." Kira stated, she had absolutely no patience to appeal nicely to Ootori. His arrogant demeanor and self-assurance pissed her off and she wasn't going to cater to his ego. Not to mention she was tired and her ability to withstand bullshit was quickly vanishing. Kyouya looked at her; he could try to contest the claim but he knew she was right. There was a higher chance of his watch running late than her phone's time being inaccurate. He decided to cave in.

"Fine, we will go by your time."

"Thank you," she bowed slightly. She was still polite, as her father always told her in crucial moments to be the better person. Kill them with kindness. "Where would you like them to be placed?"

"You may unload them in the room in the back. Someone will be in shortly to arrange them," he said gesturing to a door in the corner. Kira took the cart holding pastries and headed back.

"Stupid stuck up dumbass," she muttered angrily as she walked into the room. It looked like a former practice room that was converted into a simple kitchen, she saw a marble countertop a sink and a sizeable refrigerator. Judging by the Host Club's success she wasn't surprised that they could outfit such a room. Taking out her headphones to listen to music, Kira started unloading the pastries onto the counter.

She got into a rhythm unloading the goods and nodding along to her upbeat music, however; with her headphones in she didn't notice the door opening or a voice calling out for her. It was only when she felt someone touch her shoulder did she notice that she had company. The touch startled her and she almost dropped the elegantly decorated cupcake in her hand. She turned around to see what looked like a young boy with effeminate features; a soft round face and large doe eyes that were framed by thick lashes.

"Can I help you?" she asked taking her headphones out. The boy looked very familiar, was this the new scholarship student the entire school was buzzing about? The one that the Host Club took in. Hiro? Haru? She couldn't remember but she couldn't shake of the eerie sense of familiarity.

"Do you need any help?" The boy looked at the counter filled with cakes and tarts.

"No thank you, I'm almost done unloading. However, these need to be refrigerated and I was told someone would help put them away."

"I can do that, you can finish unloading the rest of the pastries and leave," he smiled at her. "By the way do I know you from somewhere?" Kira shrugged, maybe they might have bumped into each other at school.

"I don't know, I've been told that I have a common face."

"You didn't by chance go Misawa Middle School did you?" It dawned on Kira, why this boy-wait girl, looked familiar to her.

"Haruhi!?" she exclaimed, she couldn't recognize her friend. Though the Kira attended an international school at the time, Haruhi used to be her neighbor and stayed over at her home at times when Ranka was running late. Her mother used to get along quite well with her colorful neighbor. "I didn't recognize you with the short hair! What are you doing here? With the Host Club, as a boy?"

"I broke a 8,000,000 yen vase and now I'm indebted to the Host Club," Haruhi explained casually as if she was talking about going to the supermarket. It seemed that not too much has changed in the two years since they met.

"Wow, that sucks I'm sorry," Kira said sympathetically, she knew that her friend was probably not having an easy time at the Host Club if Tamaki and Kyouya's personalities were any indication.

"You're a second year right?" She nodded, still taking out the pastries. Kira didn't want to let her know that she was at Ouran, it brought up too many complications she had to explain. "How are your parents?" The last question made her freeze; Haruhi didn't know that her parents died. It was the reason she suddenly left their neighborhood, her paternal aunt quickly took over her guardianship and whisked her away.

"They-uh, died," Kira said awkwardly, not really knowing how to put it. "In a car accident."

"Oh, my condolences," Haruhi sympathized, she knew how it was to lose a parent. The previously friendly atmosphere between them became uncomfortable and Kira quickly finished her work to escape from this situation. Before she left the two exchanged phone numbers and promises to meet up for lunch. If they ever did Kira decided she would tell her junior about going to Ouran High School.

She walked out of the room to see Kyouya perched at a table typing aggressively. Kira approached the slightly disgruntled Shadow King glaring at the screen. She wondered if her previous squabble with him left him angry, she knew that the bruised pride of an egotistical rich bastard was dangerous. Kira decided to tread carefully, if Haruhi's story was any indication the prospective Ootori heir was a force to be reckoned with. She cautiously approached him holding out a device to verify the deliver.

"Can you please sign at the bottom," she had on her customer service voice, which was very sweet and very polite and very much not Kira. Kyouya looked up. He took it and signed it quickly not making eye contact with his class mate. When he checked his laptop earlier it confirmed that his watch was off sync, it was running four minutes fast. He hated being out maneuvered and proven wrong, especially by someone who he deemed as unimportant.

"Well Hiyashi-san, I know that while the school uniform is not _mandatory_ it is certain that students who attend this prestigious institution are not allowed to work," This information on her employment was advantageous, for him it was a bargaining chip in dealing with the Hiyashi girl. Contrary to his previous opinion on her lack of merit, he decided that her close connection to the Hiyashi Corporation could be manipulated to his benefit, especially if he was able to hold the secret of her employment against her. Not to mention the chances of recruiting Kai into the Host Club might be higher if she was indebted to him. Most of all, he wanted retribution for his bruised ego. "I wonder what Chairman Suoh would think about this blatant violation of school policy?"

His glasses flashed menacingly as he leaned back in his chair feeling victorious. Kira scoffed at his smug expression.

"Go ahead, tell the chairman. I wonder what Chairman Suoh would think about you wasting his time on this. He already knows and gave me special permission to do so, this is in lieu of my extra-curricular activity so please don't waste your time or mine or the Chairman's for some childish attempt at retaining your ego. It would do you good to learn some humility," She had her arms crossed, jaw clenched and eyebrows scrunched in frustration; she didn't bother to hide her blatant irritation with the boy. She knew she pissed him off earlier today and if spending an inordinate amount of time with the pompous elite taught her anything, hurt pride of a rich bastard would yield consequences.

Kyouya's lips stretched into a thin line, he tried hard to put on an impassive face but he couldn't control his ire. He didn't have an answer to her response, underestimated her. Despite her quiet and seemingly agreeable demeanor she was surprisingly straightforward. Her direct nature reminded him of Haruhi; both girls had no issues speaking their minds. However, unlike her junior, his classmate lacked fear in her interactions with him.

* * *

When Tamaki walked in to the Third Music Room he wasn't expecting his best friend to be engaged in a tense staring contest with a delivery girl. It was glaringly obvious that the two argued before his arrival and they didn't notice his entrance either. Upon closer inspection he realized that it was actually his classmate from 2-A. Kira Hiyashi-Hiyashi, though she went by her mother's name in Japan.

He was slightly fascinated by his classmate, who had done an excellent job of staying under the radar at Ouran. She never seemed to be affected by his charms or devastating looks; rejecting his personal invitation to the Host Club.

Despite hailing from a prestigious and influential family, the girl experienced living as a commoner. In some ways Kira reminded him of Haruhi. _How nice it would be if they could be friends. _

Suddenly, an idea popped into his mind. It would take some luck on his part but the ingenuity of it all would even impress Kyouya. In the midst of his scheming, Tamaki failed to notice that Kira was about to leave until her voice broke him out of his planning.

"If that is all," she said. He saw her pluck the device from his friend's hands and walk briskly towards the exit with the metal cart in tow. Tamaki had to act, _now. _ Thankfully, she was too busy reviling in rendering Ootori speechless that she didn't realize that a certain flamboyant French man was walking towards her. She also didn't notice the expensive tea set that was close by either precariously close by either.

"Hiyashi-hime!" Tamaki exclaimed; she couldn't control the expression of disgust on her face at his use of the word princess. Kira was quite easy to read, her expressed her emotions easily. He pretended not to notice and continued to walk towards her, trying his best to emit his princely aura. "What a pleasure it is to see you! Your radiant beauty couldn't be hidden from my eyes." Well, she thought, her attempts to hide her identity were futile now. It seemed that the Host Club President recognized her, she wished he didn't.

Tamaki swooped down dramatically and grabbed her hand, laying a feather light kiss on it. If there was one thing Kira hated was when people she was not familiar with invading her personal space without permission.

"I'm not a princess. Do not call me that." She reacted immediately, her voice terse. She should have refused her cousin's favor, she regretted her decision. Kira hated drawing unnecessary attention to herself and to be called princess on top of that. _I'm going to fucking strangle Kai. _

"But, Hiyashi san every girl deserves to be treated like one!" Tamaki decided to invade her space further and caressed her face bringing her closer to him. She wondered why the Suoh heir decided to ignore her obvious signs of discomfort and annoyance, for someone whose job was to cater to a woman's wishes he was doing a pretty shit job in her opinion

"What part of no do you not understand? Aren't you supposed to be a gentleman!?" Kira raised her tone, like she was scolding a child which Tamaki was in some ways. His exuberance reminded her of an overexcited puppy.

It was excruciatingly uncomfortable and she had to get out of this situation as soon as possible, she scrambled away from the flamboyant prince but in her attempts to get away from the situation she tripped over herself. Her mother always used to tease her for her shaky relationship with gravity. However, at that moment her clumsiness resulted in bumping into a table that held a very expensive tea pot. She stumbled into side of the table and it was like everything slowed down dramatically. She saw it teeter dramatically and reached out to catch it but it was too late, it shattered into pieces right in front of her.

_"You have got to be shitting me"_

* * *

**I know that its a short chapter, but I wanted to end it here. Still fleshing out some ideas for the story at the moment. I'm trying to set a foundation for Kira and Kyouya's interactions and setting a rapport between the two. I have a rough idea of where this is going and its not going to be too dramatic I think but I am planning on some teenage angst. Maybe. Please review and criticisms are definitely welcome. **


	3. Chapter 3

_"__You have got to be shitting me,"_ Kira cursed again. She was currently on the floor with the broken pieces of a teapot in front of her. The intricately hand painted dragons were now in front of her, judging by the mastery of the piece and the Host Club's tendency for opulence she knew it was expensive. Kyouya descended upon her, writing quickly in his black notebook. He looked like the devil trying to collect her soul and she wouldn't be surprised if tried to make her indebted to him.

"Princess!" Tamaki cried, rushing dramatically to her side. He held out a hand in aid but all he received was a scathing glare, Kira pointedly ignored him and got herself off the floor trying to gather whatever was left of her dignity. Straightening her posture, she looked directly at Kyouya who was standing next to a dumbfounded Tamaki. She expected him to be angry, but he had a cool expression on his face, showing no signs of irritation.

"That will be 1,000,000 yen," he stated calmly.

_Fuck_.

"What teapot costs 1,000,000 yen?!" She had only half of that in her savings. She couldn't pay all of that at one time, and she wouldn't be surprised if he added interest either.

"That was a 19th century Meiji era teapot and there are only three in the world. Two are in museums, the third is in front of you. If you can't pay immediately, you can pay for it through labor by working for us." Kyouya punched some numbers into a calculator which he seemed to have procured from nowhere. "You should be able to pay it in six months."

"NO!" she exclaimed rather loudly. At the mention of being indebted to Kyouya, Kira paled. Hearing Haruhi's story didn't help matters either, and the last thing she wanted to do was have the Shadow King become her debt collector. She ran through what her options were, she had about 600,000 yen in her savings currently and if she took a loan from Kai she should be able to escape from possible employment by a demon.

"So you can pay for it?" Kyouya remained skeptical, everything about her screamed commoner and unable to afford paying that much at a time. Her eyes darted around; it was obvious she was calculating in her head. He knew that if she had the money she wouldn't be hesitating this much.

"Yes, how about we meet tomorrow at 7:30 and discuss the details further," Kira wanted to desperately leave; she glanced at the door and hoped that no one else would become witness to these humiliating scene. It seemed that Haruhi hadn't heard the commotion and she was thankful, she didn't need any more complications.

With an abrupt bow, she grabbed her cart and left walking quickly towards the door.

_Memo to self: Never grant Kai any favors. Ever._

* * *

Later that evening while the two cousins were eating dinner Kira decided to bring her cousin up to speed on her teapot incurred debt. Kai found this situation highly entertaining and did not stop laughing for a good five minutes.

"It's comforting to know that my misfortune entertains you," she commented dryly as she stuffed some of the fried rice into her mouth.

"How can I not be amused by it? You were just warning me earlier today about being caught by Ootori. Not to mention that there are now _two _Hiyashi brats who have pissed him off and there's nothing he can do about it. Wonder if you can put that on your college application?"

"I'll be sure to list that as an extra-curricular, along with working part-time I enjoy breaking expensive tea-pots and irritating rich people," she bit back. To say she was on edge was an understatement. "Oh, and why did you need _me_ to deliver? Your favor got me in this stupid mess."

"Because I was running late on time and you know Ouran," he shrugged casually. "You would have delivered it on time."

"Which landed me where I am now, which is owing that demon Ootori 1 million yen."

"Oh that's not too bad, it's only a million yen. I expected it to be a lot more," Kira rolled her eyes. Her dear cousin wasn't exempt from a warped perspective of money. Of course to the heir of a multi-billion dollar corporation would that as chump change. "I need you to lend me about a 400,000 yen. I have about 650,000 yen in the bank."

Kai had no problem lending his cousin that money, he would pay for the damn teapot itself but he knew his cousin too well. She still had pride. Her parents, particularly her mother, instilled a serious work ethic in his cousin. Kira also prided herself in being independent and self-sufficient, and it was part of her personality. She bought her own groceries and did all the house chores, in addition to maintaining excellent grades and a part time job. Even though Kai had teased her earlier he was quite worried about Ootori's schemes.

"Of course! I can wire you the money into your account and then you can transfer it to the Host Club."

"Thanks! I already wrote a document outlining the payments and other details. Just look over it and make any changes you need." Kira was nothing if not thorough. Even though she knew that she could rely on Kai she wanted to be accountable for herself.

"Look at my precious cousin being so responsible and organized. Because I love you I'm not going to charge interest," he leaned over to pinch her cheeks and fawn over her. She slapped his hand away from her face.

"Thank you but next time try to show your affection in a way that doesn't hurt my cheeks," she said rubbing her red cheeks. Kai's expression turned serious.

"Do you need me to come with you tomorrow?" he asked, worry evident on his face.

"I'll be fine, don't fret," she replied. Kira was confident that she could handle Kyouya, even if he slightly intimidated her.

"You know what you said today about the Host Club recruiting me?" Kira nodded.

"You said that you can handle them? Why are they putting more pressure? They can't do anything you know; you are already part of the networking club."

"I think Kyouya is going to use you to get to me," he said bluntly. Kai noticed the increasing pressure by the club to include him again. His popularity among the female population attracted them and the profit minded Ootori saw the benefits of Kai fulfilling the "Bad Boy" role.

"I highly doubt that. Even if he was, he should know its futile, you said no to him two years ago why is he trying again?"

"Ootori is profit minded, and with the seniors leaving for college. The club will be facing a loss and he wants to make up for it by using me, he's more aggressive this time around. Tamaki is attempting to persuade me as well," It was true. Just last week the blonde Host Club king approached him trying to convince him of the benefits of the club. It wasn't like two years ago when they dropped the issue once he rejected their proposal. They became more persistent now.

"Then why use me? If Kyouya managed to get me indebted that's not going to make you become a Host," she stated. Kira didn't think of it like that, the Host Club's Vice-president never approached her before in an attempt to get close to Kai, why try now?

"If you worked for the Host Club to pay off your debts that would mean you would spend a lot of time with them. It's no secret that we are close, and Kyouya probably thought that by extensions he could convince me of the merits of the Host Club. I don't know where they get this confidence from," Kai shook his head. Now it made more sense to Kira, some girls befriended her at first because of her close relationship with her cousin but gave up as soon as they realized that Kai didn't pay any attention to them. Kyouya was using the same tactics as well and like those girls, he was going to fail.

"Good thing that I didn't agree to his plan, you can get the money transferred by tonight right?"

"It shouldn't be a problem; I just want you to be careful when you deal with this guy. You don't have experience with these type of deals, are you sure you want to meet him alone?"

"I will be fine, I am not stupid you know. Oh and by the way, don't forget dinner at the Main house this weekend," Kira changed the subject quickly. "Grandmother was not pleased when you didn't show up for the last one. You're lucky I covered for you." She pointed chopsticks at her cousin in a threatening manner.

Originally, Kira lived with her cousin at the main mansion after her parents 'deaths, however; the large, empty mansion made her grief and loneliness even worse, despite living with her family She eventually convinced her aunt to let her live in an apartment on away from the main mansion based on the conditions that one, Kai would live with her, two, that the family would pay for their living expenses, and three that she along with Kai attend weekly family dinners at the main estate. This last stipulation was added by their determined grandmother, who insisted on these dinners so that "They do not forget what that Hiyashi blood runs through their veins."

"I hardly doubt Grandmother would have appreciated me showing up inebriated would she?" Kai responded cheekily.

"Why don't you drink _after_ the dinner?"

"Because handling our family sober is a nightmare. How you do it is beyond me,"

"We all do things we don't like. But really, please make it this week or I'm going to drag you there by force." Kai pouted in protest, hoping that a cute expression would sway his cousin.

"Do I have to?" he whined.

"That face does not work on me. You are going to be there or I will circulate pictures of you in Kyary Pamyu cosplay. Who knew that bright, hot pink suited you so well" she had a dangerous glint in her eye.

"You wouldn't dare!" he sounded slightly offended and scared; he thought he had deleted all those pictures years ago.

"Try me"

* * *

If there was one thing to be said about Kira, it was that she hated attention. She had her father's disposition, quiet and reserved so it was definitely an adjustment attending Ouran Academy. The elite thrived on the attention of others, her cousin was an excellent example of this and she felt out of place at her school most of the time. Thankfully, the attention span of the rich was short so the fascination with her commoner background wore off fairly quickly. Kira managed to get by two years blending into the background, she was known as Kai's quiet cousin, her unthreatening presence she managed to go unnoticed by the most influential.

But now she wasn't so sure, after bumping into Ootori earlier that week she knew that she piqued his interest and earned his ire, that much she could glean from his unflinching stare. Now she was threatening her mission to remain unnoticed by going into a lion's den and pissing off a very influential lion. Despite being quiet and introverted, her propensity for sarcasm courtesy of her mother, often got her in trouble. Like the one she was in now, where she managed to anger the Shadow King. Kira had barely reached her class room the next morning when she received a text, it simply read

_See me in Music Room 3. _

She rolled her eyes, it was short and concise. It had to be Kyouya. She was slightly worried that he had somehow found her phone number but she wasn't surprised. Another text followed.

_This is Kyouya Ootori. _

Sighing heavily, she grabbed her backpack and started heading towards the music rooms. Unlike the day before, she didn't get lost getting to the Music room and arrived there shortly. As she got closer and closer to the ostentatious doors, she felt her stomach knot up even more in dread. Various scenarios flew through her mind, she could break something else, Haruhi might be there and she would have to explain to her why she was at Ouran, Kyouya could have found something in her past to hold over her. Kira took a deep breath to calm herself down, the last thing she needed was to show weakness in front of this boy.

She finally reached the music room, shoving any remaining thoughts she opened the door. Fortunately, the only person in the room was Kyouya. Unfortunately, the only person in the room was Kyouya, she didn't want to think of what could happen without witnesses.

"You're here," he sat sat at his usual place, not bothering to come over to her. Kira cautiously approached him. He was surprised to see that she was wearing the uniform, she had her wavy hair was let down and she looked like any other female student. He was taken aback by how pretty he found her.

"For the repayment, I am able to wire you the money within the day. Here," she said taking out a small notebook that demonstrated that she did in fact have the money. "I have the ability to pay; all I need is the Host Club account number."

He took the information without responding. She was right she had the money to pay him back. He thought she didn't have the means to but he was wrong.

"I'm surprised that you could afford it. Being a Hiyashi does have its benefits," he said off handedly, Kira narrowed her eyes at the comment. She took pride in being able to pay and it wasn't as if she was taking advantage of her rich family. She clenched her fists, an action that did not go unnoticed by him.

"Most of that is from my savings, I took a loan," she defended herself. She didn't know why she needed to but his nonchalant manner had made her mad. It seemed that every time she talked to this boy, he gave her unnecessary stress and headache, he also had the ability to make her irritated beyond belief.

"Surprising that you didn't want to work under us to pay off your debt, but you rather have a loan from your cousin?" At the mention of Kai, the conversation she had with him the night before sprung to her mind.

"Your attempts to exploit my close relationship to Kai are futile; the last thing I would ever want to do is being entangled with this Host Club and you. So please, give me the account number and I will wire you the money and then we can go our separate ways."

He ignored her retort and procured a piece of paper.

"Here is the information you need to make the transaction. I expect the money to be in the account by the end of this week on Sunday, failure to do so will result in an increase in your debt," Kyouya showed no emotion on his face despite feeling slight surprise at Kira figuring out his true motives. She grabbed the piece of paper and looked directly at him.

"You don't have to worry, the money will be in your account by this week. I sincerely hope this is the last time we will ever have to talk to each other,'" turning on her heel she walked away with her head high.

Kyouya watched her leave, slightly confused at the events that had just occurred. He felt odd, usually he was the one who had the last word but this girl took that away from him leaving him with an odd feeling he couldn't quite place. He quickly turned his attention to his math homework which he was just finishing however, Kira never quite left his mind.

* * *

Kira opted to spend her lunch in the library studying for the upcoming final exams. If she wanted to keep her scholarship, she needed to be the top of her class. Not to mention she wanted to get accepted to Columbia University, her mother's alma-mater and that required stellar academics. The library at Ouran was more of a place for socialization but she found several nooks and corners that offered the peace and quiet she needed. Poring over her Japanese history notes, she soon tuned out her surrounding environment. Unfortunately for Kira, her peace and quiet was soon interrupted by a loud voice.

"KIRA-CHAN!" She squeaked in surprise as she felt arms wrap around her neck. The chunky turquoise bracelet on her assailant's wrist revealed their identity.

"Nice to see you too Yoon-mi," Kira gently unraveled herself from the girl's grip. She turned around to see a smiling girl dressed in the Ouran uniform. Lee Yoon-mi was the daughter of Korean diplomats to Japan, and one of the few friends that she had. The girl was tall with long limbs and a pretty face, she was all angles and lines. Her hazel eyes peered at Kira.

"I was gone for a week and all I get is a 'Nice to see you?' Are we even friends?" she pouted taking a seat next to Kira.

"I like your hair?" she offered. Yoon-mi had a tendency to change her hair color just as often as she changed the guy she liked. It was a light blonde today curled to frame her small face.

"Thanks, I just got it done. I'm not sure how I feel about it yet," she twirled some of her hair around her finger. Kira and Yoon-mi made an odd pair, the latter's bright and loud personality contrasting with Kira's quiet one. Kira started out as Yoon-mi's Japanese tutor and a friendship bloomed. Though they had opposing personalities, they cared for each other and were good friends even if they didn't spend all their time with each other.

"How was the fashion show?" Yoon-mi's height and beauty lent her to become a fairly popular runway model and she split her time between going to school and work.

"It was the same as usual, but I was invited to New York Fashion week for this fall," she took her friend's notebook and started flipping through it. "We should also study together for finals; I'm struggling with chemistry and math."

"Maybe, I'll have to see how my schedule works out but how about you come over on Sunday?"

"Sounds perfect. Are you free this after school today?" she set down the notebook and looked at her friend.

"It depends, why?" Kira was skeptical, the last time she heard that phrase she got stuck accompanying her friend on a shopping spree which also involved being her friend's dress up doll.

"Come with me to the Host Club!" she batted her eyelashes at her friend and pouted again, hoping to cajole her into coming to the Host Club with her.

"Absolutely not," Kira replied without hesitation, the last place she wanted to be was the Host Club.

"But why?" Yoon-mi whined.

"Why are you suddenly going to the Host Club? What was it that you said? 'I don't need to pay men to fawn over me.' What happened to that?" she raised her eyebrows questioning her friend.

"That was before I saw Kaoru Hitachiin, I've set my eyes on that boy." Kira just smiled, of course the handsome first year caught her friend's eye. The bell rang signaling the end of the lunch period. Gathering up her textbooks and notes, Kira started to pack her things getting ready to head to class.

"Didn't you also say that you don't go for younger men?"

"I say a lot of things," she waved her hand dismissing the notion. "Where is the fun in being static, change things up. I had my fun dating older men, I want new experience, new perspective!"

"So you're going to the Host Club," Kira said simply. The two girls started walking towards their class still chatting.

"Yes, can you come with me?"

"I'm busy!"

"Don't lie to me, you aren't working today! I know your schedule," Yoon-mi knew the days that Kira worked and made sure to clear time for that day to convince her friend into attending the Host Club with her.

"I'm not your only friend find someone else, I have to study!" Kira didn't want to explain exactly why she was averse to attending the club with her friend. Yoon-mi stared at her suspiciously; her rushed tone made her suspect Kira and she decided to drop it.

"Fine," she relented and Kira sighed in relief. "But you're going shopping with me next week." Kira groaned, she should start preparing herself to be a doll once again.

* * *

Kyouya was alone in his room sitting comfortably on his bed. After finishing his homework, he decided to look over the club finances. The clock read 12:35 am and while most students would be sleeping at this hour he was up working. But he was hardly the normal student, he was fighting for the spot to be the heir of Ootori Corporation and with his position as the third son, it was an uphill battle.

Tonight however, he couldn't focus on his work. That week's events kept repeating in his mind on a never ending loop. Though the destruction of the priceless teapot irked him, the opportunity it presented to play Kira to his favor exceeded the negatives. He also suspected that Tamaki had something to do with the situation, especially since he didn't flee off into the corner to hide after Kira had rejected his affections.

What bothered him, especially with Kira, was that he didn't have any information. It was the same frustration with Kai and his lack of facts. He could glean some information from observing them but it still left more questions. He looked at the notes that he wrote.

_Hiyashi cousins v. close sim. to hit. Twins. _

_2__nd__ nakamura d. confessed….rejected…kira studying lunch, rank? Kira- hates close proximity ex. kai _

_fluent eng w/ us accent?_

_Part time job chairman allowed it. _

_Friends w/ Lee Yoon-mi_

Studying the two cousins interact with each other and with other people didn't reveal much. He managed to observe that they had a very tight bond, similar to the Kaoru and Hikaru but without the exclusivity of twins. He also inferred that she lived in America for a while, her Japanese had a slight accent to it and when she spoke English the American twang was more prominent. Not to mention she had a habit of using profanity.

Google did not reveal much either, other than the passing of the Daisuke Hiyashi, the head of the corporation and the cousins' grandfather, two years ago, there was little to nothing on the family in the news. Other thant the publicly available financial information on the company he was at a loss for answers. He couldn't find either Kai or Kira on the popular social networks which considering the current age of technology and social media was unexpected.

He eventually resorted to asking his fellow classmates about what they knew about the girl and that didn't yield much, they were more interested in Kai. There were rumors floating around the family, particularly the first son Satoru, who dropped off the radar twenty years ago. Some believed that he married a commoner and ran off with her, others said his sister-the current CEO- had a child out of wedlock and raised that child. The rumors were endless and varied making it difficult to pinpoint the truth.

Approaching Yoon-mi Lee didn't help either. He was surprised to see the two girls walk into their class chatting and being friendly, maybe because he didn't pay attention earlier to Kira he didn't know about this friendship but it was surprising nonetheless. When he approached at the Host Club that day she had flat out refused to give out any information and left the Host Club shortly thereafter. After all this effort he still couldn't find out anything on Kira and the further he investigated the more questions he had. It wasn't as if she was anything to care about either, his fascination with the girl frustrated him as much as the lack of knowledge he had on her.

Kyouya took his glasses off and rubbed his temples. Maybe he was over-thinking this matter. Shutting his laptop off and placing his glasses on the table next his bed, he decided to sleep.

_I will figure you out_ he thought before drifting off into slumber.

* * *

**So that's chapter 3. I myself may have been slightly inebriated and sleep deprived writing this but its dead week and there's nothing like some good old vodka to get you through it. Like that one old dead white writer said: write drunk, edit sober. **

**Anyways, as usual please review and I appreciate all the feedback! **


	4. Chapter 4

The weekend couldn't have arrived sooner for Kira. After dealing with the Shadow King, the week went by smoothly without any mishaps; she put in more hours at work and avoided Kyouya like it was her job. It worked out for her fairly well, other than the occasional awkward moments of eye contact she didn't talk to or even breathe in his direction. She was in dangerous territory; dealing with the rich was bad enough but one as powerful and dangerous Ootori basically a death wish. Even if she had a powerful family to fall back on, the Ootoris were not people one messed with.

Kira was in the process of picking out an outfit for that day's dinner. Though it was a family dinner, that family was the core of one of the largest corporations in Japan and wearing a simple sundress wasn't going to cut it. She donned an outfit that was more business casual than Sunday family dinner; her white dress complemented by a black blazer and a necklace. Despite her lack of experience with in this world, she knew that appearances were everything and she learned how to dress herself.

She looked at her reflection in the mirror and deemed it acceptable for her grandmother's scrutinizing eyes, grabbing a small purse. Kira stopped outside her cousin's door and knocked.

"Hey the driver is about to be here, I hope you're dressed appropriately," she said fixing the bracelet on her wrist.

"How is this for appropriate," her cousin replied. Kira froze, the last time she heard her cousin say those exact words he decided to don a Goth outfit complete with black lipstick and nail-polish. Needless to say the Hiyashi matriarch found it less than amusing and the both of them were subject to an extensive lecture on the importance of first impressions and upholding the prestige of the Hiyashi brand.

The door swung open to reveal Kai leaning against the wall in an attempt to emulate a suave model. Kira sighed in relief, her cousin like her dressed in a business casual sense with a grey blazer, black slacks and tie. She won't have to deal with an angered grandmother tonight.

"Thank you for wearing appropriate clothes," she said as she headed towards the door. She quickly put on a pair of heels. She quite detested wearing them, mainly because they made her uncomfortable and more prone to falling but she couldn't avoid wearing them.

"You don't look too bad yourself cousin, Hiyashi genes are quite something huh," he said quickly joining her side.

'Hanashiro-san is waiting we better get going," she said ignoring his comment. The two cousins left their apartment and headed to the Rolls Royce that was waiting for them outside the complex. The two cousins had a good relationship with their driver, Hiroshi Hanashiro, who was a kind man in his mid-forties.

"Hello Miss Hiyashi and Mr Hiyashi," he bowed opening the car door for both of them. The two thanked him and got in. Kira felt a knot form in her stomach. She dreaded these family dinners, it was cold and professional, and though they all shared the same blood it was as if she were eating with strangers. Their conversations sounded fake and rehearsed, not to mention her grandmother had a habit of pointing out Kira's flaws during dinner. Even if Kai was the rebellious son; their grandmother clearly favored him over Kira, whose commoner heritage and Korean blood was seen as a liability. She leaned against the window watching the cherry blossoms fall down delicately, hoping to keep her mind off the impending dinner.

The commute took more than half-an hour. Kai had fallen asleep and Kira gently nudged him awake as the car pulling in front of the large estate. The Hiyashi estate was large, too large in her opinion with the nearly half-mile driveway lined with trees not native to Japan. The sun beat down on the cream finish of the mansion, styled after French renaissance architecture. With an immaculate green lawn and a sparkling fountain, it reflected the wealth of her family.

"We're already here?" Kai said yawning and stretching his long limbs.

"Yeah, it's already 5:50, let's get going," she said stepping out of the car. He came up behind her and slung an arm around her shoulder.

"Let's get ready to face the Jackal," he whispered in her ear. Kai had a habit of referring to their Grandmother as "the Jackal" behind her back. Though he was the heir of the company, he had no affection towards his grandmother; begrudging respect maybe, but the Hiyashi matriarch was hardly the type to bake cookies and ask about her grandchildren's day. A maid appeared at the door taking their coats and handbags. The two cousins walked into a large formal dining room where Kai's mother and their grandmother sat. They bowed out of respect to their elders and quickly took their seats at the end of the table.

At its head sat Mickiko Hiyashi, the cousin's grandmother and current matriarch of the family. Though she had not held any official position in the company, she made her influence and presence known. She was a formidable woman, and despite her petite stature she commanded attention. She was nearing 75 years old and still had the vitality of those much younger. She wore her gray hair in a tight bun and donned a pair of glasses, but her gaze was nonetheless piercing.

Dressed impeccably in a well-tailored business suit, Akira Hiyashi, Kai's mother, gave off the same air of fierceness as Mickiko. The CEO of the group was not called the tigress of the business of world for nothing, she expanded the business other parts of Asia and maintained its large empire. Unlike her soft spoken brother, she was made for this business and was respected by everyone.

"Nice of you two to join us, Kai I missed you last week. I hope that your group project went well," Mickiko said smiling at her grandson. It was the excuse that Kira fed her last week but the matriarch knew better. She didn't keep her position of power by being naïve, her smile wasn't genuine, and her hazel eyes had hardness to it reflecting her true feelings.

Kai didn't blink an eye; Kira had already caught him up on what he was supposedly doing instead of attending this family dinner. He also recognized that this was a warning by his grandmother, that she didn't appreciate his absence.

"Yes, as you know our final exams are approaching so teachers give us quite a lot of projects and papers to finish," Kai said innocently grinning widely at her. Like his mother and grandmother, the boy knew how to navigate this metaphorical land mime. "How have you been Grandmother, taking care of your health?"

"I am quite fine, the doctor says that I have the health of a fifty year old and that I have many years left in me," she replied pointedly.

Kira noticed that her uncle, Akira's husband, was absent from the table. Kai noticed this as well.

"Where's father?" he asked turning his attention to his mother.

"He has business that he has to attend to, he will be arriving later," she responded taking a bite from her salad.

"By business you mean that attractive red-head with the long legs," Kai said with a wry smile, his father's weakness for pretty young girls wasn't a secret. At these dinners, he liked to bring up uncomfortable topics such as his father's infidelity and he knew he could get away with it.

The atmosphere turned tense at Kai's remark and Kira kicked her cousin under the table. Mickiko didn't even blink an eye and stared steadily at her grandson, she didn't acknowledge his comment but her eyes flashed in warning. Don't push the line.

It was obvious that their marriage wasn't a result of love but rather a business alliance. Kai's father Iwao Kita was the fourth son of a large media conglomerate and had access to various newspapers and media sources. Mickiko forged this marriage as a way to have influence in the Japanese media and control what information is given to the press. It was why their family was able to keep a fairly low profile.

Kai didn't take his father's name because of his role as the Hiyashi heir; Akira held more power than her husband and decided that her son would take after her name. The relationship between Kira's father's family were a direct contrast to the one she experienced with her parents, who were a loving couple who though eccentric at times had her best interests at heart.

Mickiko cleared her throat ignoring her grandson's comments. Akira didn't look phased either; she was used to her son's biting remarks and like her mother ignored them.

"Speaking of business," Mickiko started, changing the subject. "I expect you two to attend the charity ball that is being held in June. I am giving you plenty of time to clear your schedules and I expect the both of you two be on your best behavior." She looked pointedly at Kai, who merely nodded in affirmation.

"We will be there Grandmother," Kira spoke for the first time since she arrived. She hated her small her voice sounded.

"Are your preparations to go to the U.S. for break going well?" Akira said. Kira had planned to go visit her mother's side of the family in Boston, and then go for a college tour at Columbia which was only three hours away from her maternal grandparents' home.

"Yes, they are going well. I've already made plans to visit some of the schools nearby, thankfully my grandparents live in Boston so it's quite close," Kira said in response. Mickiko's eyes narrowed at the mention of her grandparents.

"I'm assuming you will be spending time with that Korean grandmother of yours" placing emphasis on the word Korean, she said it as if she were discussing a cockroach with a look of disgust on her face. The older woman still held the prejudiced views that many Japanese had against the Koreans and was one of the main reasons why Kira's mother was not accepted into the family, her mixed heritage causing controversy in the family.

"Yes," she responded quietly clenching her fists under the table. She was used to those comments her grandmother hurled against her and her mother; but it still hurt each time she said it. Kai looked sympathetically at her, he knew that she tried to ignore their grandmother's scathing comments and put up a brave face but Kira displayed her emotions easily and she couldn't hide the hurt in her eyes.

Their conversation was swiftly interrupted by the arrival of Iwao, who strode in mid-way through their main dish. He was a man of considerable height, and he was handsome for his fifty years. He seemed to have just come straight from a meeting not bothering to change out of his business suit.

"I apologize for my tardiness, I was caught up in a meeting with the board of directors," he said.

"More like a meeting with his secretary," Kai muttered under his breath, thankfully no one but Kira heard his comment. She kicked him again under the table, glaring at him.

"That's quite alright, we were just discussing Kira's school break plans," the older woman said smiling politely at her son-in-law, Akira barely acknowledged her husband's presence merely nodding at him as he entered.

"Oh speaking of plans, I inquired with my contacts and I heard that Akane Sato is looking for an intern this summer," he said. Akane Sato was a famous journalist who wrote for the major newspaper in Japan, Kira whose dream was to become a journalist, asked her uncle if there were any possible internships she could partake in for the summer.

"Thank you Uncle," she said.

"I will email you the details later, but she needs your resume and cover letter," he smiled at his niece. Though the two weren't particularly close, he felt bad for her after her parents' deaths and tried to help her when he could.

"Akane Sato? Didn't she attend Lobelia?" Akira said. The conversation then shifted to the adults discussing matters regarding the company. The two cousins interjected occasionally but keeping quiet for the most part.

It was nearly 8 once the dinner finished, and though it was only two hours it felt much longer to Kira. Once she stepped outside into the cool, spring air she felt much calmer; Kai also shared that same sense of relief.

"Now _that_ nightmare is over, do you want to clubbing?" Kai said as they waited for their driver to pull up.

Kira smiled at her cousin. "I think going to a night club would just make me more stressed, I'll head back home and finish studying. Who knows I might treat myself to a Netflix marathon." Kai shrugged, he knew that she would say no but tried anyways.

The black Rolls Royce pulled up and the two cousins got in, Kira pushed the memories of the dinner out of her mind as she let her mind wander to other topics. She was looking forward to seeing her mother's side of the family again, it was two years since she last saw them and missed them terribly. This break couldn't come sooner enough for her.

* * *

Kira arrived at the airport excited for her trip. She finished her final exams the day before and packed all night long, she couldn't even sleep because she was full of energy. It nearly drove her cousin mad, who decided to accompany her to the airport. Her flight was at 4pm that evening at the Tokyo airport. She made sure to arrive at least two hours earlier, mainly because she was always anxious about something possibly going wrong and missing her flight.

"You know you could have left later and you would have made it to the airport," Kai mumbled. He was nursing a particularly horrid hangover. He adjusted his aviator sunglasses, still wearing them despite being inside. Seeing her cousin in a miserable state she reached into her bag and handed him a bottle of water.

"I woke you up at one, also who told you to drink tequila last night?" she said rolling her eyes. Kai accepted the water bottle with a weak smile, his head still pounding.

"No one, I falsely underestimated my tolerance for it and I'm paying for it now okay," he said taking a drink from the water bottle. The two cousins headed toward a small coffee shop, Kira had nearly an hour and a half left until her flight and Kai hadn't eaten yet. They sat down at a small table after ordering some coffee and pastries and fell into easy conversation discussing mundane topics like their finals and what Kira was planning on doing during the break. The pair didn't notice a figure walking towards them.

"Kitaru!?" Kai and Kira turned to see a young man standing in front of them, indignant and his hands placed on his hips. He looked to be in his early twenties and dressed casually, he seemed to be a college student. His large blue eyes looked murderous as he stalked towards them. Kai's eyes widened in shock, he looked away quickly hoping that he wouldn't be noticed.

"Do you know this guy?" Kira whispered to her cousin. The young man grabbed Kai's shoulder turning to face him and forced him to stand up.

"You told me you would call!" the young man said in English, he looked distinctly European and Kira couldn't quite place his accent. _Is he British?_ Kai looked pained as the man's loud voice made his headache worse.

"Uh, I-. ummm, I can explain Donald…" Kai fumbled over his words.

"My name is David!" he half-screeched. Kira was busy trying to stifle a laugh; the scene in front of her was too comic. She had never seen her usually composed cousin so flustered.

"Right, David you see the thing is…" Kai was busy looking for an excuse and also trying to remember who the man was.

"You said that you would call me, after that night. I thought we connected. We were not two men that night, we were one soul Kitaru!" David looked hurt, it seemed that he was one of the men that Kai had "sleepovers" with. Kira could not contain the laugh that spilled from her lips.

"Kitaru?" she said laughing out loud, she figured that her cousin didn't want to give his real name but she couldn't stop the laugh from escaping. David glared at her. He let go of Kai and pointed at her instead.

"You!" he said, his gaze accusatory. "Did you steal Kitaru from me?"

"No!" Kai exclaimed stepping in between them. "She's my cousin!" David scoffed, crossing his arms.

"Sure she's your cousin. Like I haven't heard _that_ before," he said remaining skeptical. They looked suspicious, talking and laughing at a coffee shop of all places.

"No!" Kira said defending herself. "I really am, Kai-I mean Kitaru, is really my cousin!" She grabbed her cousin's face and placed next to hers.

"Look we have the same eyes," Kai said pointing to their eyes, which were similar, hazel eyes with specks of green and gold. They were distinctive, a trait they inherited from their grandmother. David squinted, upon closer inspection they did look similar enough that they could be related.

"Fine, you might be related. But you still never called even though you promised! How could you play with my heart like that?" Kira decided to take this as a cue to leave.

"I will let you two figure this lovers quarrel out, I'm going to go wait at the gate," she said. Quickly hugging Kai, she grabbed her bag; she ignored her cousin's pleading eyes and headed towards security. She turned around and waved at the pair before disappearing from their view. Kira was going to enjoy her trip.

* * *

Kyouya had reached the gate of his airplane early as usual. He checked the time again and he had around an hour left until boarding started. He was headed to Boston on a business trip for his father, Ootori Medical was doing a partnership sponsoring research into new biomedical technologies at Harvard University. It was a test for the third son, who was slowly given more tasks and responsibilities. His father was testing him and Kyouya was determined to pass.

He sat at the waiting area in front of his gate, though he had access to the VIP lounge Kyouya preferred to sit in this area. It was slightly less comfortable but he enjoyed watching people and seeing if he could make deductions from small things he observed, it was a way to sharpen his skills.

There was a mother with her young child, a boy around seven he estimated judging by his height and weight. He also figured that the father's child must be of European descent, the child reflected some stereotypically Caucasian features such as stronger nose and light blue eyes. He reminded him of his friend, Tamaki.

The mother spoke English with an American accent it was slightly harder to understand but it was similar to some of the English he had heard growing up watching American television shows. The boy was running around the seating area looking at various objects that caught his interest and his mother looked exhausted, she tirelessly ran around after him yelling at him to stay still. She eventually gave up and resigned to a seat, keeping a watchful eye on her son. Kyouya was slightly annoyed by the unruly behavior of the young boy; he wondered why his mother didn't teach that child how to behave at an airport. _Americans are loud _he thought to himself.

He watched the boy run up to a girl, who looked to be around his age. Kyouya couldn't see her face properly because her hair covered most of her side profile but she seemed slightly familiar. The girl was looking intently at a tablet, watching something with her headphones plugged in. She eventually noticed the young boy in front of her and took out her headphones. She tucked her wavy hair behind her ear exposing more of her face.

"For you!" he heard the young boy say, he had reached into his backpack and pulled out a lollipop to hand to the girl.

"Aww, thank you! You're such a nice boy," she replied ruffling the young boy's hair. He grinned with a toothless smile.

Kyouya had to laugh. He was surprised at meeting Kira at the airport of all places. For the last two weeks Kira had put in all her effort to avoid, after breaking the vase. She hadn't made deliveries to the Host Club the day after either, and he was surprised by the lengths she took to avoid him. He saw her switch the direction she was heading so she wouldn't have to make awkward encounters and every time he caught her gaze she seemed to look like she had been caught doing something bad. It was amusing to watch her face, she couldn't hide her emotions very well and you could easily see her inner thoughts play out on the feature of her face.

"You're pretty, do you want to be my girlfriend?" the boy said a smile still plastered on his face. Kira looked slightly pensive, contemplating the thought to humor him.

"I don't know you're awfully young for me," she said smiling back at him playfully.

"I'm going to be eight this year! I'm almost a big boy," he said holding up eight fingers at her. Kira laughed. Kyouya was surprised, he had seen her smile before, small ones at her cousins or her friend but he had never heard her laugh. He was surprised by the hearty tone of it, as a host he was used to hearing the customer's dainty laughs but Kira's was lower and sounded almost alluring.

"How about we you come back to me in about 15 years and we'll see," she said leaning forward and holding a pinky out. The boy took it wrapping his small finger around hers making a promise. The mother soon came up grabbing her child's hand, apologizing profusely.

"I'm so sorry, he's usually not like this he's just excited," she explained. Kira just smiled in response reassuring her it was okay. The mother took him away scolding him in the process and Kira turned her attention back to her tablet. She hadn't noticed her classmate only meters away. Kyouya decided to take this opportunity to sit next to her.

"Older women dating younger men is fairly common now but isn't he too young for you?" he said casually as if they were friends. Kira looked up to see a pair of familiar charcoal grey eyes and a smug smirk. She recognized him almost immediately and her eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"What the fuck!?" she cursed in English. Kyouya noticed that she had a tendency to curse, her profane mouth was unattractive.

"I hope that's not how you greet people, profanity is hardly polite," he said clearly enjoying the reactions she gave. She narrowed her eyes at his comment.

"What are you doing here?"

"I thought you were smart Hiyashi-hime." Kira turned and glared at him for using the honorific, he continued. "I'm here to get on a plane."

"Why are you going to Boston?" she said in a clipped voice, she was starting to get irritated and Kyouya noticed.

"I'm going on a business trip," he explained simply. She didn't press further instead turning back to her tablet she ignored him. He wasn't expecting her to brush off his presence; he was so used to people, whether it be the customers at the Host Club or business men, clamoring for his attention. Kira seemed to not care; her eyes were focused on whatever was on the tablet in front of her as if he didn't exist.

Kyouya was caught in an awkward situation, he could remove her ear buds and force her to have conversation with him or walk away as if nothing had happened. He desperately wanted to yank her headphones out of her ears and force her to converse with him but even he knew that was inappropriate. Luckily, the stewardess at that moment called for first class passengers to board the flight.

He didn't see Kira react to the announcement and assumed that she didn't hear it. He tapped her lightly on the shoulder.

"What do you want now?" she said pulling out her headphones, she looked clearly annoyed.

"They're boarding first class passengers," Kyouya replied pointing to the stewardess. Kira let out a breath in exasperation and turned to him.

"I'm flying economy with the rest of the commoners," she said crossing her arms. Kyouya nearly forgot that she wasn't like her cousin; that she was in fact like the rest of the commoners. It was just another layer to this girl that he didn't understand. He cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Well then, I'll be going. Have a safe trip," he said and left to board the plane.

"Can't say the same for you, but wishing you an unsafe trip would fuck me over," he heard her say and he couldn't help the small smile that crept onto his face.

For Kira that 13 hour plane ride from Tokyo to Boston couldn't be over soon enough. She usually enjoyed flying but this particular trip caused her a headache. Already irritated because of her earlier exchange with Kyouya it didn't help that she was placed next to a particularly chatty man who would not stop talking to her. The young child who would not stop kicking the back of her seat didn't help matters either. She silently cursed herself for not taking the first class seat like her aunt had originally offered.

Kira rushed off the plane and she knew resembled a ghost, she couldn't get any sleep with her noisy neighbor and after staying up the night before she was even more tired. She spotted Kyouya out of the corner of her eye and walked faster. Maybe it was a good thing she didn't opt for the first class seat. She reached the luggage carousel and sat down, waiting for her luggage to arrive. The conveyer started whirring and she could see several suitcases come out. While she waited, she decided to switch out her SIM card so that her phone would work in the U.S. and she was engrossed in her task that she didn't notice her bespectacled classmate approach her.

"I see that you had a good trip." His voice surprised her and she nearly dropped her phone. Kira looked up to see Kyouya standing next to her with a small smile on his face.

"Do you have nothing better to do than bother me?"

"Not when your reaction provide such entertainment." Kira muttered more curse words under her breath. Just as she was about to come back with a retort she spotted her dark green suitcase and rushed to get it leaving her classmate behind.

She was confused as to why her classmate kept striking conversation with he ; she couldn't shake off the sense of foreboding every time he showed up. Kira wanted to get as far away from the Ootori boy as fast as possible and rushed to get away.

Kyouya watched her scurry away shaking his head. Though he found her annoying and incompetent at first, he was slowly warming up to her without realizing it. He waited for his luggage looking through his stocks on his phone, soon his dark green suitcase appeared and he grabbed it off the conveyer. It felt off in his hands, and he checked the tag on it to see a name that was not his written on it.

_Kira Tanaka-Hiyashi_

* * *

**_Oh ho ho the classic switch of the luggage bags, what hijinks will be in store? We get a look into the Hiyashi family and hopefully more insight, I will be going into Kira's past later. Also, I have changed this story from a T to an M, I've finally mapped out the plot by chapters and I realized that Kira cusses to much(thats my fault but I cant help it). Kyouya seems slightly OOC and I apologize but I hope you guys are enjoying it so far(dont worry I'm not planning angst, well not too much anyways)_**

**_Anyways, thanks to everyone who has favourited, reviewed, and subscribed to this story. Your support keeps me going and please dont forget to review!_**


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